Red Barons Update

I've added Game Pictures to our Fall 2012 folder. Thanks again to Owen's Grandma for taking and sharing them with us. Enjoy!

You can find them under Important Links/New Photos - Fall 2012

Thanks,
Coach Ben

Red Barons Update

What an oustanding season of soccer! I have mixed feelings - I'm happy that we don't have to endure the wet and cold anymore, for a few months, but I'm also really sad that the season has gone by so quickly and that me and Evan won't be out on the field, with the kids, doing what we enjoy doing - playing and coaching soccer! We've had so much fun this year that we're considering Spring Soccer again! A few of you might remember me saying, at the end of the last Spring Season, that I didn't want to do Spring Soccer anymore because of the weather. But...working with the boys, seeing them learn and progress, and having as much fun as we've had, I'm excited about the opportunity to play in the Spring again and so is Evan! I know it's early but...any takers? Of course, we'll only be playing if we have enough boys who want to play.
 

Our game on October 20th - I missed this game but heard many good things. It sounds like the boys really stepped up and played well against a good team. THANK YOU COACH MATT! Matt has been a great help out there, during the practices and games. Thanks Matt for your time, support and friendship. Your contribution to the team has a huge effect on the amount of learning and fun the boys get out of our games and practices and I know they enjoy having you there!
 

Our game last Saturday - What a mess it was out there! It was so funny to watch the boys play in the mud. It was a whole new coaching experience for us, as we had to spend a majority of the time telling the boys that the mud wouldn't hurt them, before they'd start playing their best soccer! It took us three quarters to convince them of this but they finally figured it out. The other team came out to play and took advantage of our timidness and fear of getting dirty! We pulled it together and ended up catching up on goals at the end. Of course we don't keep score but we definately found more success toward the end of the game!! :-) By the way, if you took pictures, can you please email them to me? I know there were several parents taking pictures and I'd like to add one or two of those to our blog!
 

A special thank you to all of you who have helped throughout the season. I'll talk about this more at our upcoming party but, as busy as I've been, I couldn't have done it without you! We've not only got a great group of boys, we've also got YOU amazingly supportive parents who help make it all happen! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
 

See you all at the Team Party this Saturday, November 3rd!
 

Thanks,

Coach Ben

360-904-6380

Red Barons Update

Well, we've already reached the half way mark of the season and it has been so much fun! I'm still amazed at the great group of kids we have! Me and Coach Matt were observing the team we played last Saturday and there was a lot of bickering and arguing going on between the players and between the players and coaches. We don't have any of that and I never hear our boys complain, even when I have them running and working hard in practice. Our team chemistry is amazing and I hope we can all stay together for at least a few more years!

I want to congratulate the boys on another well played game! Shiven was out this week and I had a cold & no voice, but the boys really stepped up. The team we played had some big kids and they were probably the best offensive team we've played. They got a few goals on us in the first half but we pretty much shut them down after that. We worked on defense this last week and used a sweep in the second half and it made a huge difference. Kudos to the boys for picking up on the things we learned last Tuesday and  for implementing them in the game!

For the second half of the season - We'll be spending some time on defense but we'll also be moving our focus back to personal ball handling skills. Please continue to urge your kids to practice their ball handling at home. If they have a sibling or parent to practice with, it really helps. Have them dribble the ball around you, without trying to kick it through your legs. Also, next year (U8) is the first year we'll need goalies. So...I'll be introducing the goalie position to the boys, so we can get a head start for next season.

Pictures - I haven't received any pictures of our games for our blog. Has anyone taken pictures? If so, please email them to me and I'll add them to our blog. Also, if you haven't seen the pictures on the blog, you can find them under "important links" where our game schedule & snack schedules are posted.

Professional Team Pictures - I haven't received any feedback on getting a team picture done. I don't think it's too late, should I get it scheduled? I think they'll come right out to our practice field to take them. Please email me and let me know. Also email me if you have any suggestions, concerns or if you just want to talk.

Thanks,
Coach Ben

 Red Barons Update

WOW is all I can say! The boys have worked hard and were definitely prepared for our game last Saturday. Every one of the boys played hard and I can't be more proud of them, especially seeing the things we've been working on in practice come out in the games! Our game plan on Saturday was defense and the apposing team only scored one goal! So...congratulations to the boys for a well played game!

Coach Matt and I were talking and we're sooo excited about the chemistry of the boys. It's rare to find 6 kids that get along as well as they do and I don't see any exclusion going on. Maybe a little showboating, but everything seems to be very positive. This makes it so much fun for all of us, so thank you (parents) for raising such great kids and for sharing them with us!

Parents - please don't be shy! I see you waiting in your cars during practice and it's been so beautiful out! I'm sure you're enjoying some valuable "alone time", which is okay, but if you'd prefer to be outside and you don't feel like jumping in and helping with the practices, bring your lawn chair, a cold drink and hang out while we're practicing. It really helps when the parents know what we're working on so they can talk about it at home and encourage the kids to practice individually.

Our Focus - our main focus right now is on individual ball handling and passing. My feeling is...the better the kids can handle the ball, the better we are as a team! Everything else falls in place, especially when we have the opportunity to "practice games" or scrimmage during our practices.

I know I've mentioned this before, but the best thing you can do to help your child improve is to make sure they're coming to the practices and that they're working on the skills they're learning, at home. It's amazing how much they'll improve just by dribbling a ball at home, in their spare time, working on what they've recently learned!

Volunteers - Thank you to all of the parents who have offered to help! No need to go through and announce who is doing what because everything is covered. This makes me and Coach Matt's job so much easier because we can focus on coaching and teaching the kids instead of the administrative stuff! You guys are awesome and the kids will really benefit from your willingness to help!

Official Team Pictures - I need to know who would like to have a photographer come out and take a professional team picture. We have a couple parents/grandparents taking pictures but if you'd like to have someone come out, I'll get it scheduled. I'm good either way. :-)

Pictures - I am posting our current pictures on the blog, under "Important Links", on the top right hand side of the blog. Please share them with the boys, so they can enjoy them too. :-)

Thanks Everyone!
Coach Ben

Red Barons Update

Practices this week are on Tuesday & Wednesday at 6pm, at Harvest Community Church, and this should pretty much be our practice schedule for the rest of the season. I'd also like to have a quick 10 minute coach/parent meeting on Tuesday (August 28th), at the beginning of practice. We were going to do this last Tuesday but we only had two parents who were able to stick around.

Just a reminder, our practices will go until 7:15pm, at least until we start running out of daylight. If we ever wrap practice up early or if any of the boy's ride hasn't arrived, we will NOT leave without making sure all of the boys have been picked up. Please give me a heads up if someone else, out of the ordinary, will be picking your son up. If anything seems fishy, I probably won't let your child go, which could cause an inconvenience for you, me and the person is picking up your child. :-)

Last Thursday, there was concern of conflicts with Back to School Nights. Our team is spread out over two or more schools and, as far as I know, we only have a conflict on Wednesday with Shiven & Tommy's school. Dorothy Fox has their Back to School Night on Thursday so we're good there.

We were going to cancel Wednesday's practice but if we're still going to have 4 boys, I'd like to practice. Minwoo will be joining us for his first practice of the year and this would be a great opportunity to work with him and our two newest players to get them up to speed. Please let me know, ASAP, if there are any other boys who can't make Wednesday's practice. 

On another note, games will be starting on September 8th and I have posted the schedule on our blog, on the top right hand side (under the links section). Please be aware, they are still working on these schedules and they might change. It would be a good idea to check back, from time to time, especially before an upcoming game.

I have also posted the snack schedule, right under the game schedule link.

Thanks Everyone!
Ben Yung
360-904-6380

Red Barons Update

The Fall soccer season is upon us! The Mini-Camp is in session (Monday-Thursday from 6-7:30pm) and there is only one week left (August 13^th -16^th). I would strongly encourage all of the boys to participate in this camp. As I've mentioned before, it's a great kickoff to the season and gets the kids warmed up and ready to go.

There is a tournament coming up, next Saturday, on the 18^th. Please let me know, ASAP, if your son would be interested in playing and if you're going to be in town. If we have enough interest, we'll get signed up. This tournament is a great opportunity for me to see where our strengths and weaknesses are so we know what to work on, over the next two or three weeks, before our first officeial game. The cost is typicaly around $25 per kid, depending on how many we have participating. Here's some information:  http://www.vusatimbers.com/kohlscup/index_E.html

Our roster is now complete and we'd like to welcome our two newest players – Owen Liss & Konan Figueroa. We're so excited to have you guys playing with us this Fall! Please see our full roster below:

Tommy Martinez
Shivon Friedeman
Evan Yung
Konan Figueroa
Minwoo Dang
Owen Liss

At this point, everyone should be working on the following items, if you haven't taken care of them already:

1) Each child needs a uniform. If you don't have one yet, it can be purchased at Glory Days Sports in Camas. Glory Days also carries shorts, shin-guards, sweatshirts, caps, etc. The uniforms must be the CW Mini uniforms with the blue/white reversible shirt.

2) The boys will need shin-guards and I would strongly suggest that they have their own (size 3) ball so they have one to practice with, warm up with before games and for practicing at home. There have also been some used uniforms available at 360 Threads (formally ClothsTime) in Camas, in the past. It might be worth calling and checking with them first if you're interested in saving a few bucks. You might also check with your Camas-Washougal friends or do a quick post on facebook to see if anyone has one laying around. You'd be surprised how many are floating around out there, not being used.

Practices - I'm planning on starting out with two practices per week at Harvest Community Church (behind Dorothy Fox Elementary). Practices will last about an hour - maybe a little longer if we're working on something and we need a few minutes to finish up. So...I think we're going to try for Tuesday & Thursday evenings at 6pm and we'll probably start on Tuesday, August 21st, after the Mini-Camp. If we're going to participate in the upcoming tournament, we'll start earlier and skip the last day of Mini-camp.

Volunteers - to ensure the best experience for our children, I would like parents to help out in any way they can. Obviously, some of you will be more available than others but I need someone who can take pictures of the boys at games and practices, someone to line fields when necessary, someone who can organize a snack and drink schedule and someone who can organize the end of year party, trophies, etc. Also, I always appreciate it when parents are willing to get out on the field with us at practice time. It helps the kids learn and also gives me the opportunity to get to know you better. Please let me know how you would like to help, preferably before our first practice, so I can announce any additional needs for help.

I'm sure there is much more to tell you so please be on the look-out for more emails. At our first practice, we'll start out with a quick meeting with the kids, parents & coaches to get things organized.
Thank you in advance for your help and support. It's going to be an amazingly fun Fall season for all of us!

Ben Yung
360-904-6380

Red Barons Update

I hope everyone's having an outstanding summer!

Can you believe it's almost time for Fall Soccer again?? We're still 1 player short on our roster but I plan on starting practice right after the Mini Camps. Please be on the lookout for updates. The meetings have already started for the coaches and I'll be keeping you updated through this blog.

I know everyone is still busy with the craziness of summer but please pull out the soccer balls and have the kids kick a ball around, especially when they say they're "BORED"! The more they handle a ball, even if they're dribbling it by themselves, the better ball handler and player they become. It's even better if a parent or sibling can join in on the fun!

The mini camps are coming up and are a great jump-start for the soccer season. Please see the information, below, that I borrowed & slightly modified from the C-W Soccer website and let me know if you have any questions. YOU have payed for this camp with your registration fee so please make use of it! It's not manditory but I'll be there looking for the boys and hoping to visit with you as well!

Aug 6th-16th (4 days each week) - our Annual FREE MINI ACADEMY!! Get ready for the Fall season with a fun hour of training each night at Doc Harris Grass fields!  Training curriculum provided by Jeff - our Assistant Director of Coaching. Location DOC Harris "F" Field. 6pm-7:30pm each night.

Must be registered for the Fall Recreational Season to come to Camp.

Other Camps:

August 6th-9th - Camas-Washougal Soccer Academy Summer Camp 1 - for Campers Age 5-12.  Campers receive a week of great training and a free T shirt.  Location - Prunehill Soccer Field.

August 20th-23rd - Camas-Washougal Soccer Academy Summer Camp 1 - for Campers Age 5-12.  Campers receive a week of great training and a free T shirt.  Location - Prunehill Soccer Field.

Register here:  https://sites.google.com/site/cwscsoccer/Registration

Both Camps above from 9am - 12pm

Thanks Everyone!
Ben Yung
360-904-6380

  Picture Gallery - Spring 2012

        Please click on the picture above to view the gallery

I've added a bunch of pictures to our blog (above). A special thank you to Erick Creech for taking these pictures and sharing them with us! Please feel free to send me any additional pictures you'd like to see on here and I'll get them added ASAP.

 Red Barons Update

WOW, another fun and amazing game last Saturday! The VUSA Tigers came out strong and scored three quick goals on us but once we got our defense clicking, we dominated the rest of the game. Great job guys for playing so hard, not giving up, and remembering the things we've been working on in practice! We were even down two players, with only one sub.

Games this Saturday - We were scheduled for a double-header but it looks like the VUSA Dynamite will have too many kids out to field a team and had to cancel.  This is the game that was scheduled for 10:30am this Saturday morning. We're trying to get this game rescheduled for another day but that might not happen. I'll keep you posted!

We are still scheduled to play the CW Explosion at 1:30pm on Saturday, at Helen Baller, and we'll be the Home Team (white jerseys). We'll need a parent volunteer to ref the game. Any volunteers?

Memorial Day Tournament - There is a tournament coming up on Memorial Day Weekend. I talked with a couple of the parents about this at the Practice on Tuesday and they were interested. I'm working on getting more details and will give you more information, as I get it, but please let me know if you're interested and available that weekend.

Skills - We've been working pretty hard on defense, basic dribbling skills and protecting the ball at practice. At this age (5 & 6 years old) developing personal dribbling skills is the number 1 priority. I do introduce more of the game to them (positioning, passing, etc.) in small doses but try to keep the focus on ball handling. This is what's recommended by the league and it's associated curriculum. Also, I've talked to professional coaches and they all seem to say the same thing, "Have them dribble, dribble, dribble! Give me a player who knows the basics and has great ball handling skills and I can teach them the rest of the game. Give me a player who knows the game but can't dribble and I can't do much with them."

On that note - I'd like to suggest that the kids practice their dribbling and ball handling skills at home, whenever possible. A few minutes each day can make a HUGE difference and the kids will love it! Especially if a parent or sibling is willing to play with them!

Coaching - As you may have heard, I'm planning on coaching again in the Fall. I think we've got 4 boys comitted so far but if your son would like to play with us again in the Fall and hasn't notified me, please let me know ASAP. I need to know how many slots we'll have open because I have two kids wanting to play with us, who haven't played with us before.

Thanks everyone,
Ben Yung
360-904-6380

Red Barons Update

Welcome to our new CW Red Barons blog. I will be posting announcements, updates, important links and photos to this blog and it will become a main source of cummunication for our team. Please take a few minutes to explore and poke around. Most importantly, take a look at the "Important Links" section, where you'll find our game schedule, field locations, our snack schedule and other links that are of importance.

Before your first visit is complete, please click on either the "Red Baron Followers" or "Follow by Email" tab, on the hand right side of the blog, and sign up to ensure you get any new updates or posts. Please also shoot me an email or make a comment on this post to let me know you're your setup as a follower. I want to make sure everyone is receiving the updates.

I apologize for the delay in getting this blog setup. I meant to get it up and running a lot sooner.  I think I took on a little too much, with my busy schedule, and was a little overwhelmed at first, but I think I've got things better under control now. I appreciate your patience and I should be more on top of things from here on out. A special thanks to Matt for helping me out and filling the gaps! I've also had great support from all of you parents. I really appreciate it and I'm sure the boys do too! We're all having a blast so far!

My hope is that everyone will participate and help this blog to grow. Please send me items to post which can include but are not limited to pictures of our games & practices , announcements, achievements that your Son may want to announce, etc., and I will do my best to get them on the blog. Please also share the blog address (cwredbarons.blogspot.com) with your close friends & relatives, the kid's grandparents, etc.. They will enjoy looking at pictures of the boys and hearing of their progress and achievements. We also might get them to join us for a game or two.

Let's have fun!

Thanks,
Ben Yung
360-904-6380